retiredmartin

To celebrate City’s latest win at Everton, last night I walked to one of Cambridge’s newest pub gems, though by no means a new pub.

The Blue Moon is the latest venture by Cambridge real ale legends Terri and Jethro, who also run the famed Cambridge Blue round the corner, and an excellent village pub in nearby Stapleford.  Since the Carlton Arms, their first pub a decade ago, they seem to have gradually moved into what would call Craft Beer territory, supplementing a solid family brewer cask range while maintaining exceptional standards.  In the Blue Moon the focus is firmly on interesting UK and imported keg beers of all strengths.

Before its new incarnation this was an externally unappealing 1960s estate pub, albeit one only a couple of minutes from the central area around Parker’s Piece. It was best known for live music event and rarely visited by me.  Internally, it’s now spick and span, with a games room kitted out for events like cinema and TV sport.  As with all Terri and Jethro’s ventures, there is a very full calendar of activities, including Meet the Brewer events (Yeastie Boys recently)

Since it’s opening last year, I’ve visited a half-dozen times, enjoyed a range of beer immensely, but often found it very quiet, perhaps reflecting it’s appeal to students.  The pub food centres on pizzas, but the car park was turned over to a Food Park this month, with some great pop-up vendors to sample.

So far on my visits I’ve been tempted by some excellent stronger (5% +) keg stouts and IPAs, typically around the £5 mark with CAMRA discount.  The range isn’t as extensive as in, say, Manchester’s Port St or Cambridge’s Pint Shop, but is well selected and providing a choice of styles.  Staff are chatty and friendly.

I will be interested to see if the Blue Moon gets in the next Beer Guide, and whether it starts to appear on the pub crawl that CAMRA groups and visiting football fans make when visiting Cambridge.